Combined mop stick and wringer.



V. C. MUINTOS-H. COMBINED MOP STICK AND WEIN-GER. APPLICATION FILED MAR.18, 1912.

INVENTOH (may Cmmrl o WASHINGTDMD VIRGINIA c. NICIN'rosII, or SIIARPSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED M01? STICK AND WRIITGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1912.

Application filed March 18, 1912. Serial No. 684,450.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VIRGINIA C. MOIN- Iosrr, citizen of the United States, and residing in `the `borough of Sharpsburg, `in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements in Combined Mop Sticks and IVringers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a new and imi proved combined mop-stick and wringer.

My object is to provide an inexpensive, yet durable article which will dispose the mopcloth in aspreadout position during the mopping operation and contract the same into a narrower compass for wringing.

Generally speaking the article consists of a handle upon the lower end of which is pivotally mounted a foot, and a wringingrod rotatively and slidingly mounted on said handle. The mop-cloth is looped about an arc-shaped cloth-bar forming the toe of the foot and its `ends are secured to the lower end of the wringing-rod. Means carried by the foot are provided for keeping the mopcloth centered on said cloth-rod. The foot is so mounted on the lower end of the handle that its toe, which during the mopping operation is in front of the handle, assumes a position in the rear of the handle and above the pivot point during the wringing operation, thus allowing the mop cloth to be stretched in a straight line clear of all con-4 tact intermediate of its ends for wringing. Owing to the curved cloth-bar forming the toe of the foot, the cloth automatically spreads laterally to its full width when in the mopping position and likewise contracts laterally into narrow compass when in the wringing position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken perspective of my device in the mopping position, the mop-cloth being indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a broken rear elevation of the device and the mopcloth in the wringing position; Fig. 3 is a broken side elevation of the device and cloth in the mopping position, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the clamp on the lower end of the wringing-rod.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings: A is the handle which may be made of wood and of convenient length. On the lower end of the handle A are mounted a pair of downwardly diverging legs 1-1 which may be of any material. In the drawings I have shown them made of stamped metal integral with a split socket 2 secured to the lower end of handle A by means of rivets 3-3.

B is the foot pivoted between the legs 1-1.y the toe of said foot being formed by a curved or arc-shaped cloth-bar 4. I have shown the foot B in theform of a metallic frame work but the design and material of the foot are capable of variations, as may be desired. The foot B is mounted between the legs'l-l by any convenient means, as by the shaft 5 provided with squared body which seats in squared holes in the side bars of said foot and also provided with integral spindles 6 6 atthe ends which are journaled incylindrical holes 7 7 in the lower ends of legs 1-1. It is thus seen that the foot is free to rotate, the heelS thereof being of a size lto swing forwardly between said legs 1-1.

9 is a resilient clamping finger mounted on the shaft 5 by having its lends coiled about said shaft 'and secured against `rotation by seating in holes 10-10 in said shaft. Said finger is preferably in ,the form of a loop as shown and presses down upon the centralV portion of clothbar 4. 11-*11 repf resent one or more teeth extending isipwardly from the cloth-bar 4 within Vthe looped finger 9.

12. is a cross-bar of foot B in the rear of cloth-bar 4 and preferably provided with downwardly and forwardly extending teeth 13-13. l C is the wringing-rod rotatively and slidably mounted on handle A by any convenient means, such as by brackets 14-14.

15 is'a clamp mounted on the lower end of the wringing-rod C and preferably formed by stamping and bending a sheet of resilient metal in the form of a pair of jaws 16-16. The upper portion of the clamp 15 is preferably pressed to form a spiral thread 17, and 18 is a screw collar adapted to be screwed down on said clamp to contract the" jaws 16-16- The cloth D is looped about the clothbar 4 and its ends led under the foot B, as shown in Fig. 3 and clamped between the jaws 16--16, the finger 9 being raised to allow the insertion of the cloth and then permitted to spring back into place against the bar 4 to co-act with teeth 11-1l to properly center the cloth D on bar 4. The teeth 13-13 assist in maintaining the body of the cloth D in proper position during the mopping operation. The curved form of bar 4 causes the cloth to extend laterally to its full width during the mopping operation.

When it is desired to wring the cloth, the rod C is elevated, upsetting the foot B so that it assumes the position shown in F ig. 2, the toe or cloth-bar 4 of the foot being above and to the rear of the shaft 5, while the heel 8 of the foot is below said shaft. The cloth D, being released from the teeth 13-13 is assisted by t-he ourvedcontour of f the bar 4 to contract and slip laterally toward the center and now the highest point of said bar 4.

It is thus evident that the cloth D is now stretched in narrow form between the bar 4 and the lower end of rod C. The rod is now rotated twisting the oloth D, as shown in Fig. 2, and thoroughly wringing the same.

After the wringing operation is oompleted, the rod C is rotated in the opposite direction, to untwist the cloth, and is then allowed to drop into its former position when the weight of the cloth D will cause the foot B to reverse with the bar 4 below. ,By placing the foot against the Hoor, it is swung again into its mopping position whereupon the curved contour of the bar 4 will automatically spread the cloth to the extended position shown in dotted lines in 1 l. Vhat I desire to claim is l. In a combined mop-stick and wringer,

`ot' said foot, a rotary member mounted on the handle, and a mop-cloth looped about -said cloth-bar, extending beneath said foot and secured to said rotary member.

2. In a oombined-mop-stiok and wringer, a handle, a presser foot pivotally supported on the lower end of the handle, a oonvexly Curved cloth-bar extend-ing from the front of said foot, a clamp carried by said foot, a rotary member mounted on the handle, and co-aeting with said cloth-bar, and a mop-cloth looped about. said cloth-bar and engaged by said clamp, extending beneath said foot and secured to said rotary member.

3. In a combined mop-stick and wringer, a handle, a presser-footpivoted to the lower end of the handle, a cloth-bar extending from the front of the presser-toot, a rotary member mounted on the handle, a mopcloth looped about said presser-foot and having its ends secured to said rotary member, and a linger formed ,of looped resilient wire mounted on said presser-foot and holding said cloth in place upon saidelotli-bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.

signed it. Pittsburgh, Pa., this 14th diy of March, 1912.

VIRGINIA Witnesses :v

E. A. LAWRENCE, J. H. HARRISON.

o. vivienwosn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. M 

